Ireland wait as pair battle fitness
Ireland will wait until Thursday before naming their full-back for the RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales as Girvan Dempsey and Geordan Murphy continue their fitness battles.
Dempsey was forced to withdraw from the team that thrashed Scotland 34-13 because of a hip injury and Murphy, his replacement, went on to produce a man-of-the-match display.
The star turn by Murphy, who has since been struck by an Achilles problem, confronted Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan with a major selection headache.
But O’Sullivan will give the rivals as much time as possible to prove their availability before making a final decision.
There are two confirmed changes to the side that dismantled the Scots with Paul O’Connell displacing Mick O’Driscoll and Rory Best coming in for Bernard Jackman.
Munster lock O’Connell was a second-half substitute against Frank Hadden’s side but continued his comeback from his back injury with an impressive display against Cardiff last weekend.
Jackman pays the price for some wayward throwing in the line-out by losing his place to Ulsterman Best, a more solid performer at the set piece.
